The American Farm Bureau Federation, along with other agriculture organizations, brought farmers and ranchers to Washington, D.C., this week, to advocate for farm bill movement in the Senate. Addie Yoder, a Missouri corn and soybean farmer, talked about what they hope to accomplish this week on Capitol Hill.
“We are really hoping to accomplish a positive vote for the farm bill this week. We should get it voted on in the Senate Ag Committee, and hopefully, we can tell our story to the senators voting and make a positive impact on getting that through.”
There are many issues that Farm Bureau members want addressed in the final bill.
“Personally, I think there are some really positive things about conservation going through. I know that there are some changes to crop insurance on specialty crops that would be impactful for a lot of growers, and so that is important as well. If we could get E15 attached to it, that would be a big win for corn farmers too.”
It’s vital that farmers get involved and become advocates for agriculture.
“Farmers are such a small group of people. It’s a really unique job, and most people don’t have access to one. So, anytime we can be in front of them face-to-face to tell our story ourselves, it’s valuable not just to us, but to those lawmakers as well. So, not everyone wants to do it, and it’s not something that’s always easy, but if we can make the effort, especially during harvest time, to come off the farm and be in front of people, it’s more impactful face to face than it is over email or a phone call.”